Gun-mounting.



A. T. DAWSON & e. T. BUCKHAM.

GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914.

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- GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2. 19M.

1,1 52,079. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

8 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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GUN MOUNTlNG.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 19141 Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

8 HEETS-SHEET 3.

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A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1914.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914.

1,152,079. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

GUN MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I2, 1914.

Patented Aug. 31,1915.

ma ma 8 SHEETSSHEET 6.

A. T. DAWSON & G. T. BUCKHAM.

GUN MOUVTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1914.

1,159,079., Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

R SHEETS-SHEET 8.

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ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSQN AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKHAM, OF WESTMINSTER, LON- 30H, ENGLAND, ASSIGN T0 VICKERS LIMITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. St, 19 15.

Application filed November 12, 1914. Serial No. 871,676.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR Tnnvon Dnwsomimight, and GEORGE THOMAS BUCK- HAM, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broad- Way, Westmister, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and use i 'ul Improvements in or Relating to Gunhfiountings, of which the following is' a specification.

- This invention relates to gun mountings of the naval type adapted to be placed in a casemate or on an upper deck, the said mountings being of such a character that the elevating and training number or numbers (that is, the member or members of the,

crew {for elevating and training the gun) are situated adjacent to the gun trunnions which are located Well in advance of the breech and are carried by a cradle in which the gun recoils on firing. In such mountings it is usual for the carriage to be pro vided with a shield and for the elevating and training number or numbers to occupy a position contiguous to the gun trunnions and between the carriage side cheeks and the inner wall of the shield with the result that the latter requires to be of sufiicient diameter or width to provide the necessary space for the number or numbers.

An important feature of our invention resides in the fact that the mounting is so constructed and arranged that the diameteror width of the shield can be reduced to such an extent that it does not materially exceed the maximum distance between the carriage side checks, the elevating and training number or numbers being situated in a position between these side cheeks and beneath the level of the gun trunnions, which position they occupy at all angles o'i'elevation otthe gun. downward and may terminate in a chamber which passes through the deck and issup The side cheeks extendof the gun trunnions, and as the minimum distance between these parts is only limited by :the lateral space occupied by the elevating and training numbers and by the width of the elevatingrack, the sights can be placed in such a position that in a casemate mounting large deflections of the sight can be effected at extreme angles of training and a large maximum angle of training can be attained with a small diameter of shield without wooding the sights that is to say without the vision through the sights being obscured by the side armor of the ship. The fact of the elevating and training numbers (when two suchnumbers are employed) being in close proximity to one another enables them to readily communicate verbally with each other when desired.

We may adapt the aforesaid mounting to carry two or more guns, for which purpose the carriage is provided, in addition to the two side cheeks, with one or more center plates which together with the side cheeks receive the trunnions of the gunsf lVith the sights arranged beneath the level of the trunnions as aforesaid, a large arc of training can be obtained Withbut Wooding which result would not be possible in the casemate mountings heretofore constructed if two or more guns were mounted therein. Furthermore a much smaller shield can be employed than would be required in a caseinate or upper deck mounting carrying two or more guns and constructed on the principle heretofore adopted.

The sight brackets may be pivotally mounted on the gun cradle trunnions in a position between the carriage checks and the gun cradle, the sight carriers being connected to the said brackets by deflection pivots as is well understood. The whole of the sighting apparatus may be arranged at the forward part of the gun cradle beneath the trunnions, the sight setter then occupying a position between the carriage cheeks instead of near the breech end of the gun as is customary. The sight brackets, instead of being pivoted on the gun trunnions, may be pivoted to a part such as the elevating rack moving with the cradle, at a point beneath the forward part of the gun cradle.

- In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying draw-- ings, in which Figures 1, 2 and 3, are a sectional side ele vation, a sectional plan and a sectional. rear elevation showing more or less diagraiu mat-ically a constructional form oi a casemate mounting carrying a single gun. Fig. 4: is a diagrammatic plan of an upper deck mounting carrying a single gun. Figs. '5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a form of mounting adapted to carry two guns. Figs. 7, 8 and 9, are views similar to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 showing a modified form of mounting adapted to carry two i 5 guns. Figs. 10 and 11', are a diagrammatic sectional elevation and a diagrammatic plan showing another modified form of mounting. Figs. 12 and 13 are views similar to Figs. 7 and 9 showing still another form of 1 mounting.

In these figures A is the gun, B, B are the side checks of the carriage and C is"the shield.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1' to 9, the side cheeks of thecarriage are extended downward to about the level of the deck, the distance between the cheeks at the lower part being somewhat greater than at the upper part, and these side cheeks merge 40 into a cylindrical chamber B which passes through a suitable bearing B connected to the deck B the chamber being supported in the bearing in any appropriate manner, such as by a number of balls or rollers to facilitate training. The said chamber may as shown be provided with seats b, 6 (Figs. 1 to 3) for the elevating and training numbers respectively and with a floorplate b sothat elevating and training can be effected either from a sitting or a standing position as desired.

In the above mentioned constructions the upper parts of the bodies of the elevating and training numbers are protected laterally by the side cheeks B, B of the carriage, as well as to a large extent. (in a casemate mounting) by the side armor of the ship, while their lower extremities are protected by the wall of the chamber as well as by the side armor. In place of the aforesaid rotary chamber We mayemploy a simple platform which might be provided with or rotatably mounted upon a pivot of suitable formation, or as shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the chamber may be stationary. Training mergers may be effected by connecting the training handle or hand wheel b through gearing to a pinion b (Figs. 3 and 5) carried by one of-the side cheeks or by the chamber and IQ engaging with a fixed rack 6 The gun b is elevated by the handwheel bthrough a pinion gearing with an elevating rack B arranged centrally beneath the gun'cradle.

In Figs. 1 to 3, and F igs. 5 and 6, the sight brackets D are pivotally' mounted on: f}; the gun trunnions D in a position between the carriage cheeks B, B and the un cradle. The telescopes are mounted in t 1e carriers D in such a position that their eyepieces normally occupy a position approximately 3 I beneath the axis of the gun cradle trunnions.

The sight brackets may be cross connected 1 in any suitable manner such as by 'a frame of triangular shape in, plan. It willbe o'bserved from Fig. 3 that the sight brackets 35 move about an axis which is at a small angle. to the axis of the trunnions, this arran ement providing an automatic correction or drift as is well understood. Insighting ap-' paratus heretofore proposed the sight has 9'} been pivoted on trunnions which were either arranged external to the cheeks of the carriage or were pivoted in the cradle trun nions, with the result that trunnions pro-. jected beyond the cheeks of the carriage and as these cheeks had to be cut away at the rear as far as their outer surface in ordertoallow the gun and cradle together, with thesightsto be run in-board for housing.

avoided with our improi ed sighting apparae'. tus, since the trunnions need not project V through the side cheeks and the latter need; therefore only be recessed at the rear to env able the gun and cradle together with the,' sights to be housed. Furthermorethe dis 10.5 tance between the sights is reduced owingto the sight pivots being close to the cradle and between the cheeks of the carriage. With the resultant reduction in'the diameter of the shield the total length of the 11s sighting apparatus is considerably reduced.v it being clear that the larger the diameter of the shield the more must the sight bracket" v be extended rearwardly to prevent. the, ad justing handwheels from foulingthe wings of the armor. The telescopes are also much better protected than hitherto, owing to the fact that they are mostly inside the cheeks of the carriage, whereas in previous ar rangements they have been outside the checks of the carriage. Instead of employ- P ing two cross-connected sights we may use only one sight which would preferably be placed immediately beneath the cradle; in

this case the mounting could be operated 12.: by one gun layer who would perform both the training and elevating operations.

In the construction shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the sighting apparatus is at the front of the cradle, underneath the 'trunnions, and the I,

hvthe form of si hting sight setter is seated inside the chamber 13' the seat 6 being provided for this purpose.

This arrangement enables a sighting apconsequence the carriage cheeks closely fit the cradle; the other advantages possessed apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and *i'gs. 5"and 6 are also obtained. It is to be understood that either form of sighting apparatus may be used with any of the herein described mountings whether adapted to carry one or more than one gun.

in the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 9 the mounting is provided with a center plate B to receive the inner trunnions of the cradles, and the elevating hand wheel b servesto elevate both guns simultaneously although they e independently if desired. The guns may also be fired simultaneously or separately.

the form of the mounting illustrated in Fig. i which shows a mounting of the upper deck type, shields or screens C are provided on the side cheeks to protect the gunners from spray. When a pair of guns are arranged. on a mounting of this type, the shield need be no larger than that required with. a single gun on a mounting constructed in accordance with present day practice.

In Figs. 10 and 11 which as aforesaid show the cylin rical chamber or hollow pivot B stationary instead of moving with the carriage, the latter is supported on roller, ball or other suitable bearings at the upper end of the chamber B, the carriage being preferably connected to a ring B rotating upon the said bearings. In this arrangement seats need not be provided for the elevating and training numbers, who would then walk around in the chamber during training. The said stationary cylindrical chamber may be dispensed with by raising the mounting sutliciently high to enable the gun layers to be accommodated above the deck as shown in Figs. 12- and it in this case a platform B would be provided on the deck to enable the gun to be loaded. in

the construction shown in these figures a 4 the carriage is B integral with or connected to provided, but this platform may be dispensed with in which event the elevating and training numbers would stand upon the dock within the side cheeks of the carriage and walk on this portion of the deck during the training movements.

The arrangement whereby the eyepiece or eyepieces of the sight or sights, the actuat lati'orm an be arranged to be elevated 7 elevating mechanism and the ing gear of the of the training mechanism actuating, gear carriage in itself constitutes an important feature of the invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isz- 1. In a gun mounting, the-combination with the carriage, of a'shield whose diameter or width does not materially exceed the maxare disposed between the side cheeks of the imum Width of the carriage. said carriagehaving downwardly extending side cheeks between which in a position beneath thelevel of the trunnions, the elevating and training number orsnumbers are situated at all angles of elevation of the gun, elevating mechanism and means for arranging said elevat- I mechanism so that its handle is between ing beneath the level of the the side cheeks and gun trunnions.

2. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage, and the ighting apparatus, said carriage halting ownwardly extending side cheeks, of means for mounting the sighting apparatus so that the eye piece of the sight is between these side cheeks and beneath the level of the gun trunnions. 3. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage and the elevating and. training mechanisms, said carriage having downwardly extending side cheeks, of means for arranging said elevating and training mechanisms so that their handles are situated between the side cheeks and beneath the level of the gun ,trunnions.

4. In a gun mounting, the with the carriage, thesight ing apparatus and the elevating and training mechanisms, said carriage having downwardly extending side cheeks, of means for arranging sai sighting apparatus so that the eyepiece of the sight is between the said side checks and beneath the level of the gun trunnions and means for arranging said elevating and training mechanisms so that their handles are between the side cheeks and beneath the level of the gun trunnions.

5. in a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage and the sighting apparatus, said carriage having downwardly extending side cheeks, of a working chamber moving with said side cheeks, a bearing for supporting said chamber, and means for combination icence N that the eye piece of the sight is between the said side cheeks and beneath the level of the gun trunnion s.

7. In a gun mounting, the combination 5 with the carriage and the sighting apparatus, said carriage having downwardly extending side cheeks, of a sight bracket forming part of said sighting apparatus, and means for pivotally mounting said sight l0 bracket on one of the gun trunnions in a position between the gun cradle and one of the side cheeks.

8. In a gun mounting, the combination with the carriage and the sighting ap- 

